Saturday, November 1, 2014

Don't be afraid to tell the truth.

I was thinking whether I should be afraid to speak out the
truth; speak out what I feel. There are chances that you might hurt the
feelings of others or may even hurt yourself while speaking out the truth, but
then should that be a deterrent?

I don’t think I would
be helping my wife in any way if she is shabbily dressed and I tell her a lie that
she is looking gorgeous. She might have taken some time to select the attire
and then to dress up with a bit of make-up and some jewelry. She might be
expecting a compliment from me after having satisfied herself by looking in the
mirror. I know she would feel bad if I don’t appreciate her. But won’t I be
doing a wrong to her by saying something which is not true? I do think so. I
have just given the wife as an example. This is a fact that is true with
everyone including me. Suppose your teacher praises your otherwise badly
written essay just in order to raise your confidence level and to keep your
moral high. I personally believe that she is doing the worst thing to you. She
is creating a block in your way to improvement. You might feel bad or dejected
for sometime if she criticizes your essay and tells you that you should put in
more effort and better yourself; but it will do you only good in the long run.

We have become used to telling lies more due to the virtual
world where we hide our faces and keep telling lies to please people. It may be
okay for some because we don’t take comments or criticisms in the social
networking sites too seriously. But that is not the case with the real world
where you stand face to face with people whom you know. Why I am insisting on
telling the truth is not because others value our judgement or opinion
seriously but because I feel that it would be sort of cheating if we don’t tell
the truth.

We often see subordinates nodding their heads in agreement
and responding positively to anything their boss says. The boss might feel
happy and he may give a broader smile when you meet him next time. But as a
good and responsible subordinate one should be able to say what is right and
should have the confidence to disagree with your boss if you feel that he is
not right. You should be dutiful enough to give out your opinion even if it is
on a different tangent from that of your boss. At the most he may call you to
his office and warn you against being so open; I am sure that he won’t kick you
out. And if he is a real leader he will surely note your name and consider you
for a better job. Though, a critical opinion, no doubt, is rarely accepted.

I agree that there are many circumstances when we agree with
someone well knowing that he is wrong or we choose to swim with the flow, but
then that should be done only if we are sure that our falsified agreement will not
do any harm. It is always better to be true and frank when you are with people
who are well known to you. Momentary
feelings need not be given much importance. Time will stand by us. But yes,
always remember to be polite and never blunt; in words or actions.

In the same note, I would also like to remind you that one
should be ready to accept truth and criticism also. Don’t get bogged down. Be
gracious enough to accept constructive criticism and spare time to give it a
thought.